Houses of Prayer

Jesus had a strong encounter on the temple mount with people who were buying and selling, making His Father’s house a den of robbers.  What were they stealing?  Quite a few things actually, but namely a person’s unique opportunity and privilege to pray.  To meet God.

The temple was a focal point of the people.  A holy place, set apart for a special purpose.  A place to offer prayer and sacrifices to God.  A dwelling where the very presence of God met humanity.  That is why Jesus turned the tables and said, “My house will be called a house of prayer.”  A sanctified spot where God and humanity would talk and commune together.  A place Jesus was willing to fight for and turn a few tables.

This was a special place but why did Jesus call the temple a house of prayer?  In this case, the temple was God’s house, where the shekinah glory of God dwelled.  Jesus was talking about the temple as the house of prayer, but what if he was talking about something even greater? What if he was also referring to himself?  The very walking, talking, active presence of God seen and heard in the person and work of Jesus.  A temple (or house) of God. At another time Jesus referred to His body as a temple while talking to the leaders around the temple complex and he said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days.”  The leaders thought he was talking about the building structure.  He wasn’t.

As Jesus was turning the tables on the temple mount what if He was making a public statement, a declaration of something precious to him and available to everyone when he said, my house - my body, my life - will be a house of prayer, a temple of my Father.  A place where the Father’s very presence can be met and His power can be demonstrated.  As he stood with his chest heaving and sweat beaded on his forehead, a strand of cords in his hand and shekels tossed at his feet, he must have longed for the day when the people would see this for themselves. Perhaps thinking: What about your temples?  Are you ready to become houses of God? 

“God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27 – emphasis mine).  You were created to have Christ live in you, to be a house of God, a living holy of holies.  Is Jesus in your house? Are you ready to proclaim, like Jesus, “My house will be a house of prayer”?

Stewardship Jesus' Way - question 6

Is God asking something impossible here?

Yes, but there is hope. Jesus says in Luke 18:25 that, “It’s easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” This should at least give pause for us to consider because we are the “rich man.”  As we examine this further some think that a needle was referring to a smaller opening within a larger gate.  Though I’ve seen those openings in Jerusalem and it could be something Jesus was alluding to (it paints a great picture), it seems more likely from the original text he was talking about an actual sewing needle.

There are some linguistic things going on here. It must be noted that the original writing of the New Testament was in Greek though the common vernacular in Israel/Palestine was Aramaic, closely related to Hebrew. The Greek word for camel is: kamilos, whereas the Greek word for rope is: kamelos. A similar coincidence? Upon further examination of the Aramaic word, it is the same for camel and rope: gamla (its origin may have paired because often rope was made from camel hair).  Regardless, whether a camel or a rope, they’re not going through the eye of a sewing needle.  It’s impossible. 

And that’s the point of hyperbole (exaggeration) Jesus is trying to make.  It’s impossible to figure this out on your own. You cannot discover the right formula, be generous enough on your own or buy your way into the Kingdom of God.  You must surrender to God completely, allowing Him to strip away all pride and self-preservation so that you can be renewed as a steward for His purposes.  He alone can open the possibility for we who are rich materially to enter His Kingdom, and use everything we’ve been given for Him firstly and completely.  But it’s going to require a sacrifice and surrender on our part, a simple and yet wholly difficult task.  It’s not a one-time thing, it will require continual giving from a point of trust. When we become complacent He steps in and asks us for a “heart check,” asking us to take it to the next level…and beyond.

God invites us to a life that is greater than the one He is asking us to leave behind. That is what we often don’t understand because we’re captive to our fear and feelings.  The truth is: that if we accept what God is offering we cannot lose.  He is offering what is best.  He is not asking us to give everything away or surrender completely to Him so that we can be destitute and miserable.  He is asking whether we will trust Him so completely that we’re willing to place ourselves under His care that is so much better than we’re able to do with our limited perspective. 

In order for us to receive what He wants to give, we need to empty what we have.  We cannot come to the Father with a cup filled with our personal brew.  In order to get the fullest goodness God wants to give, it is wise to come with our proverbial cups empty. That is where deep trust is needed. Often we tip out a bit at a time and receive the same in return and then wonder why we’re not experiencing more of God’s goodness.  For us to mix our personal brew with what the Father pours out blends about as well as oil and water.  We cannot have both in the cup and somehow expect to drink just what the Father has given.  And so we press into the most impossible part – letting go of our fears and setting aside “the way we would do it” so that we can begin accepting in faith the way God designed us to do it – a better way. That alone may seem impossible. If it was easy we would already be doing it. Keep wrestling with Him, being in His presence, and you will gain His strength and wisdom.  

Stewardship Jesus' Way - question 5

So what does stewardship Jesus' way mean for you?

Jesus calls people differently to use what they have been given for His purposes.  For some he may call them to give everything material away.  For others He calls them to give up that certain thing, knowing it’s a barrier to a full life.  A doctor doesn’t prescribe the same medicine for every patient.  The “doctor” we are to follow proclaims, “What good is it to gain the whole world and loose your soul?”  How crazy would that be.  Whatever He calls us to give, at whatever moment, His end goal is for us to follow/love Him completely – with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor with that same completeness.

So can I have both? Having wealth and still seek and align my life with God’s will? Yes and No. Yes, you can from the perspective of a surrendered heart that wants to use what we’ve been given for His purposes.  No, you can’t from the perspective of wanting to keep your lifestyle and fit God into it somehow.  It doesn’t really matter if you have a house in the Hamptons or a hovel in the Bronx, both can be a stumbling block or used as a blessing. In our minds we need to give it all away and our actions test this resolve whether we are truly sold out to God. Who is our Master?  Who do we ultimately depend on – our bank account, our effort or our Lord Jesus?  We cannot love or serve two different Masters.

Certainly people can have wealth and love God...look at Abraham and countless others in the Bible.  The question is: does wealth have us? To whom have we given our heart? It's our heart that God is after.  We must watch our step around wealth, knowing our tendency for it to capture our hearts and become ensnared by it if we don't intentionally and continually forfeit our desires and adopt His.  That being said, God does want us to enjoy things and find contentment. I do believe we cannot find true contentment unless we own a perspective that everything is a gift from God.  Unless He occupies our hearts with joy we grow restless in our selfishness and bored with our striving.  Apart from God, and our purposes found in Him, everything turns meaningless.

On one side of the spectrum people manage their finances in a way that gives them what they want.  The driving force is to get ahead, acquire a certain lifestyle, attaining a mark that we believe will make us happy.  On the other side of the spectrum there are people who simply don’t manage their finances and link it to holiness.  They don’t want to think about it. They believe making money and handling material wealth is somehow worldly and unspiritual.  In reality they may be acting like a lazy, irresponsible steward, covering their sin with a veneer of holiness. Neglecting stewardship of material things, our very lives or creation itself is like giving back the keys to a shiny new car from our earthly father and saying, “No thanks, I don’t want to enjoy your gift because I don’t want to wash it or care for it.”

Surrendering our hearts to God does not devoid us of being a responsible partner in how material things are managed.  It’s a constant struggle to try to find balance, to wrestle with these gifts and figure out how to enjoy them and bless others.  We must learn and keep learning, not avoiding stewardship no matter how hopeless it may seem or what kind of financial mess we find ourselves in. God wants us to participate with Him.  Since we are children of the King we are invited into responsibility of the Kingdom.  If we decide to neglect this responsibility, in this case, neglect stewardship, we become spoiled children who not only want everything, but also want our Father to do everything for us.  That’s not relationship. That’s a recipe for an unhealthy, unfulfilled and unhappy child that no good parent would allow anymore than a restaurant tantrum if they had anything to say about it.

Stewardship Jesus' Way - question 4

Why do we have an orphan mentality?

God is not interested in receiving our leftovers that come from a mindset that we take care of ourselves first and then help others.  If you wouldn’t give leftovers to a guest in your home, why would you give them to your King? To help others first is counter-intuitive.  I’ve been around organizations that had an orphan mentality, taking care of their security first before helping others.    It’s rationalized that responsible organizations take care of the “golden goose” so that the “goose” can continue laying those “golden eggs.”  Don’t get me wrong here, I am all for fiscal responsibility, but what is missing is the recognition that God not only owns all the cattle on a thousand hills, but also owns all the “golden geese” as well.  If we have it all figured out where is there room for God to show up and amaze us?  As strange as it seems, our well-intended “fiscal responsibility” can become an idol and leave us with an orphan mentality.

Too often we try to figure out how little we can give for it to count without disrupting our lifestyle and good plans we have. We approach giving from an orphan mentality.  Perhaps we don’t believe God wants to give us more than we already have.  Our giving is a reflection of our heart, a heart that either trusts God at some level or not.  Your heavenly Father will meet you at whatever level of trust you are offering.  God is not trying to trick you or steal something from you in a ploy to get you to release your grip on your pocketbook.  He doesn’t need your money, but He wants your heart.  How we give of our material wealth is a measuring stick of the relationship with have with our Father.

We cannot hold back to preserve our life, our lifestyle, or our organization, however good they may be. God is calling us to fully trust Him and begin to see He was serious when He said He would care for us. He wants to give us more than we want to receive.  This small thinking – that we need to keep what is ours because we’re not sure there is more - is an orphan mentality that must seem ridiculous to God who wants to pour out blessing upon blessing.  You are a child of the King, you have been purchased from the slavery of your lives at a ridiculous price – the life of Jesus.  Why do we still have an orphan mentality and hoard our blessings?

I have spent time with orphans around the world who have very little materially and yet I sense they have more than most. They didn’t have an orphan mentality.  In many situations when I came to bless them with new clothes and gifts, they were only too eager to give me their only Tonka truck or dolly.  I want that inner wealth and I think you do too.  Allow God to use what you’ve been given for the good of others before yourself.  You are not an orphan.  Stop thinking and acting like one.

Stewardship Jesus' Way - question 3

Do we have to feel guilty about what we have and not enjoy the things that God has given? 

We are in the top 5% of the wealth of the world, simply because we live in the United States.  Our poorest poor are richer than 95% of the world.  We are blessed.  But now what do we do with that?  Should we wallow in guilt over this or is there a more productive approach?

The mind-numbing affects of affluence can cause even the most faithful to stumble. Affluence hides things that are important.  That doesn’t mean that affluence is bad, but it can be distracting and destructive to values and important practices if we’re not careful.  It erases desperateness and our perception of things that we truly need to the point where we find ourselves naked even though we’re fully clothed.  Affluence can be a subtle thief that takes withdrawals from our accounts of joy - a little here, a little there -lulling us to sleep until one day we wake up emotionally and/or spiritually bankrupt and more desperate than if we had material need. 

Scripture talks about the pitfalls of affluence, but it also talks about the blessings we are to enjoy.  There are times of fasting and times of feasting in a life dedicated to God.  Having His perspective with a posture ready to use these blessings on a moment’s notice surely makes Him smile.  There are people who have the gift of making things fruitful. Without these generous benefactors society would be missing a beautiful part these Givers are called to play. As we discern the negative aspects of affluence – greed, excessive leisure, etc. – we must take care to not lump everyone who is wealthy into a negative category.  Laziness is laziness whether someone has material wealth or not.  Greed is greed no matter the size of the bank account.  I’ve experience incredibly wealthy people with immense hearts for God (and the poor) and I’ve been around the material poor who are stingy and filled with bitterness toward the rich.  I’ve also seen the reverse.  We are called to represent God as stewards.  He owns it all and calls us to receive a full life immersed in His grace. This is distinct and different than having an entitlement attitude – I earned it, I deserve it – that can keep our hearts small. 

Why does God own it all?  Because He made everything.  He gives us our breath every moment, keeps our heart beating in a regular rhythm and causes our synapses to fire in our brains.  He keeps the sun shining so that the earth can produce food, we can eat and have energy to do work with the skills He has entrusted to us to contribute to His balance of all things…life.  Science can describe these things, but is not the reason they happen.

We should hang onto material things only as much as we need to steward them well. To follow the stewardship of Jesus requires discipline.  It can be a rigorous and exhausting exercise to figure out how to use our abundance to meet the needs of others, our own need and be aligned with God’s purposes.  It requires a relationship with God to hear and know His purposes.  It takes determination and discipline to align our purposes and resources with His work.  Let nothing distract us from the things of God and the practices necessary to keep our rebellious hearts disciplined and tuned into true freedom, not the allurement of wealth and the brand of freedom the world is peddling. 

Stewardship Jesus' Way - question 2

What influence do material things have and how do you know if they have become idols in your life? 

I would answer this question by asking some others: What are the signs or indications that these things are getting in the way of my relationship to God (or even my personal peace)? What could I not go without?  Knowing my selfish heart can talk myself into anything, what potential idol in my life have I gone without lately?

First of all, let’s be clear: We all have idols in our lives.  If we can commit to a few foundational actions we have a chance of not being enslaved to the idols that creep into our lives uninvited.  Foundational action #1 – Let’s be honest about the idols in our lives; Foundational action #2 – Let’s not be proud of our idols or okay with them in our lives – believing that life without idols is truly better than life with them; Foundational action #3 – Ask the God of the universe to reveal the idols we see and the ones we don’t see in our lives and ask Him to take them away in exchange for something better.

Abraham was a very wealthy man.  God called him to go to a land that would be difficult to support the lifestyle Abraham was accustomed to in Mesopotamia. And yet, he went in faith, believing in the goodness of a God He hardly knew.  Abraham wasn’t attached to “stuff,” though he had a lot of it.  It didn’t hinder him from following God when asked to go.  His actions proved that his faith in God was real, that his surrender was genuine and that his heart belonged to God. 

Does God have your heart?  Will you give everything to Him even if it seems unreasonable?  (Are you beginning to see that this is beyond God wanting your stuff, but wanting your heart?)  Will you surrender your idols? 

Often God will ask something from us beyond our control and/or beyond what we can figure out. He is inviting us into the struggle to receive His way by faith in His goodness, an invitation to relationship.  God doesn’t want material wealth to be an issue, just a tool.  He created the world for us to enjoy and use to bring Him glory.  It was never meant to be a matter of ownership – our stuff and God’s stuff – but of relationship where hearts commune in the same space. God has created our hearts to be the stages of the universe through which He unfolds His plan.  How we play out our lives is either unto Him or to ourselves.

Allow God to continually show you the idols in your life (barriers to relationship with Him) and take surrender seriously.  He loves you and wants what is best for you. Could you say that of the things that are currently directing your life?

Stewardship Jesus' Way - question 1

Why did Jesus talk so much about money?

One doesn’t have to look very far in the gospels to see a reference to money.  Jesus doesn’t shy away from this topic.  In fact, He talks about it often, which causes me to ask: “Why?”  In a nutshell I believe Jesus talks about it so much because He knew the heart of humanity.  He knew that material wealth would uncover the human bent of greed and selfishness; a tremendous obstacle to personal growth and harmful to others if left unchecked.  But he also knew God’s intention for material wealth to be such a wonderful tool if handled by the right heart; a heart directed by the hand of God.

On the surface it seems that the issue Jesus is preoccupied with is money or material wealth, but in reality those things are irrelevant compared to the obsession Jesus has for our hearts and a relationship with Him. That is the driving passion of God.  God doesn’t care about how much money we give.  He is not poised as some kind of killjoy, not wanting us to have fun with things.  He does care whether those things stand in the way of a deeper relationship with Him and a fuller life He purchased for us to enjoy (in Him). 

God knows that you and I are bombarded each day by messages that tell us what we deserve and how we’re to look out for “number one.”  The way of the world often leads us slowly, with deliberate subtlety from the way of Jesus. We live in broken systems that are contrary to God’s economy.  When we learn about God’s way it seems impossible and contrary to the world’s way.  This should not surprise us and even cause a measure of frustration and anxiety.  It leaves us with many questions, such as: How are we to actually apply the way of Jesus to our immediate context?  Is it even possible to live out what Jesus teaches about stewardship in our modern context?  I believe we can, though it will require a certain amount of surrender, “unlearning” some of what we’ve been taught and a fierce determination to trust the goodness of God when it doesn’t seem to make sense.

Join me this week as I blog each day about Jesus’ way of stewardship in a modern economy.  In the wrestling we find a closer relationship.